NFL Player News

Coach Bill Belichick noted Sunday that he isn't quite ready to name his Week 1 starting QB between Cam Newton and Jones, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports.

To that point, Belichick noted after Sunday's preseason finale that the Patriots "still have a lot of decisions to make." That said, given that Newton started Sunday and played two series, all with New England's starters, before Jones took over and saw action deep into the third quarter, all with the backups, it would appear as though the team may be leaning toward rolling with the more experienced Newton early on this season. In that scenario, Jones would begin his pro career in a backup capacity, but the 2021 first-rounder nonetheless is a promising prospect who will eventually claim New England's starting job. Whether that occurs in the event that Newton is unavailable at some point this season due to injury or COVID-19 protocols, or simply due to the team's coaching staff looking to spark the offense, this will remain a QB situation to monitor even after a Week 1 starter is named.

Boyle needs thumb surgery, and the Lions won't have a timetable for his return until after the procedure, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press reports.

The Lions seem to be preparing for an extended absence but hope to have him back this season. Boyle had been competing with David Blough, who now defaults to the No. 2 quarterback spot for Week 1.

Beathard completed five of 10 passes for 86 yards and an interception during Sunday's preseason win against Dallas.

It was a poor showing for Beathard on Sunday, but his role as Trevor Lawrence's top backup was already secured after Gardner Minshew was traded to the Eagles on Saturday. Overall Beathard played well between the three exhibition contests, completing 27 of 40 pass attempts for 309 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. The 27-year-old is a solid backup option at quarterback, though things will have obviously gone wrong for the Jaguars if he's seeing any significant playing time in 2021.

Mayfield completed six of 10 pass attempts for 113 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 19-10 preseason win over the Falcons.

Mayfield was one of a handful of starters to make their 2021 debuts in the Browns' final preseason tilt. The fourth-year quarterback did not have the assistance of his starting wideouts, but he still looked sharp in the pocket on the two drives he led to begin the game. Mayfield is hoping to have Odell Beckham (knee) back for the start of the regular season after the wideout suffered a torn ACL in Week 7 of the 2020 season. With a stable of playmakers and a solid offensive line, we could see yet another step forward for the budding signal-caller this year. Mayfield will get a chance to prove himself against the league's best when the Browns travel to Kansas City to take on Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs in Week 1 of the regular season.

Trask completed 12 of 14 passes for 146 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions in the Buccaneers' 23-16 preseason win over the Texans on Saturday night. He also netted minus-4 yards on four carries and lost two fumbles.

The disparity between the ultra-efficient passing effort and the two miscues embodies the rollercoaster performance typical of a rookie quarterback. Despite Trask's undeniable struggles over the first two preseason games and his pair of turnovers, Greg Auman of The Athletic includes the rookie as the third quarterback in his 53-man roster projection, with Ryan Griffin as the odd man out and heading to the practice squad.

Mills completed 10 of 27 passes for 106 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions in Saturday's 23-16 loss to Tampa Bay in preseason Week 3.

Mills' two-TD/three-pick night was part of a strange game in which Houston rushed for more than 200 yards, forced three turnovers and still lost. The rookie quarterback's uneven effort is emblematic of his entire preseason: some good, some bad and not enough to be a starter come Week 1 of the regular season. He's expected to get a chance down the road, but Mills should back up Tyrod Taylor when the Texans host the Jaguars in two weeks.

Jones completed 17 of 22 passes for 135 yards, a touchdown and an interception in Sunday's 22-20 preseason loss to the Patriots.

Jones turned in an uneven performance while playing the entire first half. After punting on New York's first two drives, he ended the third series by throwing an interception on third-and-goal from New England's one-yard line. Fortunately, Jones eventually bounced back by hitting Kaden Smith on a nice 23-yard touchdown pass just before halftime. On the back of that showing, Jones now will turn his attention toward what could be a critical third season for him, beginning with Week 1's matchup versus the Broncos.

Jones completed 10 of 14 passes for 156 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 22-20 preseason win over the Giants.

Jones entered the game after Cam Newton led the Patriots to a field goal on their first drive and was intercepted on their second. From there, the rookie first-rounder again proceeded to impress, leading New England to 16 points, including a 17-yard touchdown pass of his own, prior to exiting to start the fourth quarter. With a superb exhibition audition process now complete, it'll be interesting to see whether coach Bill Belichick will name Jones or Newton his starting quarterback ahead of Week 1's matchup against the Dolphins.

Burrow played the opening series in the Bengals' 29-26 preseason loss to the Dolphins on Sunday, misfiring on his only pass attempt.

Head coach Zac Taylor apparently didn't want to deviate from his plan of only having Burrow handle the opening possession, regardless of how short that drive ended up being. As it turned out, the Bengals actually went backwards with the second-year signal-caller under center due to an unnecessary roughness penalty, and Burrow's only attempt, which went to Ja'Marr Chase, was incomplete due to a drop on the rookie receiver's part. Having broken the ice, albeit briefly, with respect to getting back into game action before the regular season, Burrow and his teammates will now look ahead to the Week 1 battle versus the Vikings on Sunday, Sept. 12.

Peterman completed 18 of 29 passes for 175 yards, a touchdown and an interception in Sunday's 34-10 preseason loss to the 49ers.

Peterman once again played the entirety of the offensive snaps to end his extensive preseason involvement. Although he found Nick Bowers for a 16-yard touchdown in the third quarter, Peterman was picked off on his next drive. The veteran now will await his fate as he hopes for a roster spot behind Derek Carr and Marcus Mariota.